CN110999220A

CN110999220A - Overlapping control resource sets with different priority levels

Info

Publication number: CN110999220A
Application number: CN201880049150.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·孙; W·陈; P·盖尔; J·蒙托约; H·李
Original assignee: Qualcomm Inc
Current assignee: Qualcomm Inc
Priority date: 2017-07-28
Filing date: 2018-07-26
Publication date: 2020-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-26
Also published as: WO2019023451A1; EP3659298A1; US10791567B2; US20190037577A1; EP3659298B1; CN110999220B; TW201911921A

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A method may include: receiving, at a User Equipment (UE), a control resource set configuration message from a base station; identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel; identifying a priority level of a first controlling resource set and a priority level of a second controlling resource set based on the controlling resource set configuration message; and monitoring the first set of control resources based on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources.

Description

Overlapping control resource sets with different priority levels

Cross-referencing

This patent application claims U.S. provisional patent application No.62/538,612 entitled "Overlapping control resource Sets with Different Priority Levels" filed by Sun et al on 28/7/2017; and U.S. patent application No.16/045,524 entitled "Overlapping Control Resource Sets with Different Priority Levels", filed by Sun et al on 25/7/2018; each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application.

Background

The following generally relates to wireless communications, and techniques for managing overlapping sets of control resources in a wireless communication system.

Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be able to support communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth-generation (4G) systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or LTE-advanced (LTE-a) systems, and fifth-generation (5G) systems, which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems, which may employ various techniques, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), or discrete fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM).

The set of control resources contains time and frequency resources allocated for transmission of control information from the base station to the UE. The UE may tune to one or more specified sets of control resources to receive control information from the base station. In some cases, time and frequency resources of one set of control resources may overlap with time and frequency resources of another set of control resources.

SUMMARY

The described technology relates to improved methods, systems, devices or apparatus that support managing overlapping sets of control resources in a wireless communication system. The UE may be configured to monitor overlapping sets of control resources. Overlap between control resource sets may occur when two or more control resource sets use the same portion of a resource block (i.e., time and frequency resources). For example, a common set of control resources and a UE-specific set of control resources may partially occupy the same subband and span the same OFDM symbol, resulting in partial overlap between the sets of control resources. In some cases, the set of control resources may be non-contiguous over a portion of the resource block. For example, some control resource sets may be non-contiguous over frequency resources (e.g., subbands) of a resource block, but may be contiguous over time resources (e.g., OFDM symbols) of the resource block. Additionally or alternatively, some sets of control resources may be contiguous in frequency resources and non-contiguous in time resources.

When the UE decodes control information transmitted on the set of control resources, the UE may follow the search space definition to locate resources (e.g., time and frequency resources) for the downlink control information. However, when a UE is configured to monitor two or more overlapping sets of control resources, one downlink control information transmission in one set of control resources may use resources used by multiple downlink control information transmissions in another set of control resources, which makes it difficult for the gNB to schedule downlink control information transmissions for multiple UEs monitoring any one set of control resources. In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, a UE communicating with a base station in a wireless communication system may assign different priority levels to overlapping sets of control resources and use the prioritization scheme to simplify the process of decoding control information. Different priority levels assigned to different sets of control resources may, for example, determine which portions of each set of control resources are monitored by the UE for downlink control information decoding.

A method for wireless communication at a UE is described. The method can comprise the following steps: receiving a control resource set configuration message from a base station; identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel; identifying a priority level of a first controlling resource set and a priority level of a second controlling resource set based at least in part on the controlling resource set configuration message; and monitoring the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources.

An apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus may include: means for receiving a control resource set configuration message from a base station; means for identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel; means for identifying a priority level of a first controlling resource set and a priority level of a second controlling resource set based at least in part on a controlling resource set configuration message; and means for monitoring the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources.

Another apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor. The processor and the memory may be configured to: receiving a control resource set configuration message from a base station; identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel; identifying a priority level of a first controlling resource set and a priority level of a second controlling resource set based at least in part on the controlling resource set configuration message; and monitoring the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for wireless communication is described. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may include instructions operable to cause a processor to: receiving a control resource set configuration message from a base station; identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel; identifying a priority level of a first controlling resource set and a priority level of a second controlling resource set based at least in part on the controlling resource set configuration message; and monitoring the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources.

In some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media, monitoring the first set of control resources may be based at least in part on determining that a priority level of the identified first set of control resources and a priority level of the identified second set of control resources may be different. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for determining that a priority level of the identified first set of control resources may be lower than a priority level of the identified second set of control resources. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for identifying overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources.

Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for removing from the first set of control resources an overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources, wherein the overlapping resource portion overlaps with a portion of the second set of control resources. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for obtaining a remaining portion of the first set of control resources based at least in part on the removed overlapping resources, wherein the remaining portion of the first set of control resources comprises a non-overlapping resource portion.

Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for updating a monitoring configuration of a UE for a first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlapping resources. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for configuring a UE to refrain from monitoring a portion of the first set of control resources that overlaps with the second set of control resources.

Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on rate matching all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources around an overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources.

In some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media, the first set of control resources comprises a set of time-first mapped control resources. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around resources sharing the same frequency domain resources as the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources.

In some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media, the first set of control resources comprises a set of frequency-first mapped control resources. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on rate matching all downlink control information transmissions in a first set of control resources around resources that overlap with a second set of control resources.

Some examples of the above methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, means, or instructions for performing blind decoding of downlink control information at a candidate downlink control information transmission based at least in part on a candidate downlink control information transmission location in a selectable first set of control resources, where resources used by the candidate downlink control information transmission and a second set of control resources may be non-overlapping.

Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, means, or instructions for performing blind decoding of downlink control information at a candidate downlink control information transmission based at least in part on a candidate downlink control information transmission location in a first set of control resources that may be selected prior to identifying overlap with a second set of control resources, where resources used by the candidate downlink control information transmission may partially overlap with the second set of control resources.

Some examples of the above methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on the candidate downlink control information transmission partially overlapping with a second set of control resources, wherein the downlink control information may be transmitted within a non-overlapping portion of resources allocated to the candidate downlink control information transmission. In some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media, the priority level of the second set of control resources may be based at least in part on a default priority level.

A method of wireless communication at a base station is described. The method can comprise the following steps: assigning a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources; generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and transmitting a control resource set configuration message to the UE on the wireless channel.

An apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus may include: means for assigning a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources; means for generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and means for transmitting a control resource set configuration message to the UE on a wireless channel.

Another apparatus for wireless communication is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions are operable to cause the processor to: assigning a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources; generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and transmitting a control resource set configuration message to the UE on the wireless channel.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for wireless communication is described. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may include instructions operable to cause a processor to: assigning a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources; generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and transmitting a control resource set configuration message to the UE on the wireless channel.

In some examples of the above methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media, the control resource set configuration message may be transmitted during a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection procedure. In some examples of the above methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media, the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources may be UE-specific.

In some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media, the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources may be a common set of control resources. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, means, or instructions for assigning a default priority level to at least one control resource set, wherein the control resource set configuration message includes an indication of the default priority level of the at least one control resource set. Some examples of the above-described methods, apparatus (devices), and non-transitory computer-readable media may further include processes, features, devices, or instructions for configuring a UE to refrain from monitoring a portion of the first set of control resources that overlaps with the second set of control resources.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a system for supporting wireless communications that manage overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a system for supporting wireless communications that manage overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3-5 illustrate examples of configurations to support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a process flow to support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7-9 illustrate block diagrams of devices that support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 illustrates a block diagram of a system including a UE that supports managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 11 through 13 show block diagrams of devices that support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14-16 illustrate methods for managing overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The base station may configure the UE to monitor one or more control resource sets. For example, the configuration may occur during a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection procedure. In some cases, a UE may be configured to monitor two or more overlapping sets of control resources. When overlapping occurs between the control resource sets, different priority levels may be associated with different control resource sets. These priority levels may be explicitly or implicitly signaled to the UE (e.g., using RRC signaling), or the UE may assign default values to different types of control resource sets.

When a UE is configured with a group of new or updated control resource sets to monitor, the UE may determine whether any of the control resource sets overlap and a priority level for each overlapping control resource set. If overlapping control resource sets have the same priority level, the UE may be configured to monitor and decode each control resource set independently. If overlapping control resource sets have different priority levels, e.g., a first control resource set has a lower priority level than a second control resource set, the UE may monitor the entirety of the second control resource set due to the higher assigned priority level. The UE may monitor and decode less than the entirety of the first set of control resources based on the identified overlap. For example, the UE can monitor and decode non-overlapping portions of the first set of control resources. By limiting the decoding and rate matching operations to non-overlapping portions of the first set of control resources, downlink control information transmitted in the first set of control resources will not be blocked by a second set of control resources of a higher priority level, and more downlink control information may be transmitted.

Aspects of the present disclosure are initially described in the context of a wireless communication system. Subsequently, exemplary UEs and base stations (e.g., evolved node B (eNB), next generation node B (gNB)), systems, and process flows are described that support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels. Aspects of the present disclosure are further illustrated and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flow charts related to managing overlapping control resource sets having different priority levels.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a system 100 for supporting wireless communications that manage overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. System 100 includes base stations 105, UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, system 100 may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-advanced (LTE-a) network, or a New Radio (NR)/5G network. In some cases, system 100 may support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission critical) communications, low latency communications, or communications with low cost and low complexity devices.

The base station 105 may communicate wirelessly with the UE115 via one or more base station antennas. The base stations 105 described herein may include or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as base transceiver stations, radio base stations, access points, radio transceivers, node bs, evolved node bs (enbs), next generation node bs or gigabit node bs (any of which may be referred to as gnbs), home node bs, home evolved node bs, or some other suitable terminology. The system 100 may include different types of base stations 105 (e.g., macro base stations or small cell base stations). The UEs 115 described herein may be capable of communicating with various types of base stations 105 and network equipment, including macro enbs, small cell enbs, gbbs, relay base stations, and the like.

Each base station 105 may be associated with a particular geographic coverage area 110, supporting communication with various UEs 115 in that particular geographic coverage area 110. Each base station 105 may provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110 via a communication link 125, and the communication link 125 between the base station 105 and the UE115 may utilize one or more carriers. The communication links 125 shown in the system 100 may include uplink transmissions from the UEs 115 to the base stations 105 or downlink transmissions from the base stations 105 to the UEs 115. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, and uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions.

The UE115 may be configured to monitor overlapping sets of control resources. Overlap between control resource sets may occur when two or more control resource sets use the same portion of a resource block (i.e., time and frequency resources). For example, a common set of control resources and a UE-specific set of control resources may partially occupy the same subband and span the same OFDM symbol. In some cases, the set of control resources may be non-contiguous over a portion of the resource block. For example, the set of control resources may be non-contiguous over frequency resources of a resource block and contiguous over time resources.

In some cases, the UE115 may decode the received control information. Within the set of configured control resources, the UE115 may be configured to perform a set of blind decoding of downlink control information. Each candidate downlink control information may be placed in a different resource set of the control resource set. The set of blind decodes of the downlink control information forms a search space. The base station 105 may select one of the candidate blind decoding locations to send downlink control information to the UE 115. For example, UE115 may receive Downlink Control Information (DCI) as part of a set of control resources. The DCI may include downlink and uplink grants, uplink power control commands, and the like. However, in scenarios where the control resource sets overlap, downlink control information transmissions to one UE in one control resource set may occupy resources used by many downlink control information transmissions to other UEs 115 that are configured to monitor another control resource set. Thus, due to the lack of resources, these other UEs 115 may not be served in another set of control resources. Accordingly, UE115 may select the monitored resources from each overlapping set of controlling resources based on the priority level assigned to each set of controlling resources. In this way, multiple UEs 115 may be served by the overlapping sets of control resources, and each UE115 may identify which resources to monitor in the overlapping sets of control resources based on the assigned priority level. This adoption of overlapping control resource sets allows for reuse of resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of system 100.

The geographic coverage area 110 of a base station 105 may be divided into sectors that form only a portion of the geographic coverage area 110, and each sector may be associated with a cell. For example, each base station 105 may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a small cell, a hot spot, or other type of cell, or various combinations thereof. In some examples, the base stations 105 may be mobile and thus provide communication coverage for a moving geographic coverage area 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may overlap, and overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may be supported by the same base station 105 or different base stations 105. The system 100 may include, for example, a heterogeneous LTE/LTE-a, or NR network in which different types of base stations 105 provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110.

The term "cell" refers to a logical communication entity for communication between the base station 105 and the UE115 (e.g., on a carrier), and may be associated with an identifier to distinguish between neighboring cells (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID)) operating via the same or different carriers. In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., Machine Type Communication (MTC), narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or others) that may provide access for different types of devices. In some cases, the term "cell" may refer to a portion (e.g., a sector) of geographic coverage area 110 over which a logical entity operates.

UEs 115 may be dispersed throughout system 100, and each UE115 may be stationary or mobile. A UE115 may also be referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a subscriber device, or some other suitable terminology, where a "device" may also be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client. The UE115 may also be a personal electronic device, such as a cellular telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a personal computer. In some examples, the UE115 may also refer to a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, an internet of things (IoT) device, an internet of everything (IoE) device, or an MTC device, among others, which may be implemented in various items such as appliances, vehicles, meters, and so on.

Each base station 105 may communicate with the core network 130 and with each other. For example, the base station 105 may interface with the core network 130 over a backhaul link 132 (e.g., via S1 or other interface). The base stations 105 may communicate with each other over backhaul links 134 (e.g., via X2 or other interface) either directly (e.g., directly between base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via core network 130). The core network 130 may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 130 may be an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) that may include at least one Mobility Management Entity (MME), at least one serving gateway (S-GW), and at least one Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (P-GW). The MME may manage non-access stratum (e.g., control plane) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for UEs 115 served by base stations 105 associated with the EPC. User IP packets may be communicated through the S-GW, which may itself be connected to the P-GW. The P-GW may provide IP address allocation as well as other functions. The P-GW may be connected to network operator IP services. The operator IP services may include access to the internet, intranet(s), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or Packet Switched (PS) streaming services.

At least some network devices, such as base stations 105, may include subcomponents, such as access network entities, which may be examples of Access Node Controllers (ANCs). Each access network entity may communicate with UEs 115 through a number of other access network transport entities, which may be referred to as radio heads, intelligent radio heads, or transmission/reception points (TRPs). In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and access network controllers) or consolidated into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

The system 100 may operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of 300MHz to 300 GHz. Generally, the region of 300MHz to 3GHz is referred to as the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band because the wavelengths range from about 1 decimeter to 1 meter long. UHF waves can be blocked or redirected by building and environmental features. However, the wave may penetrate a variety of structures sufficiently for the macro cell to provide service to the UE115 located indoors. UHF-wave transmission can be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than 100km) than transmission using smaller and longer waves of the High Frequency (HF) or Very High Frequency (VHF) portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz. The system 100 may also operate in the very high frequency (SHF) region using a frequency band from 3GHz to 30GHz (also referred to as a centimeter band). The SHF region includes frequency bands (such as the 5GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) frequency bands) that can be opportunistically used by devices that can tolerate interference from other users.

The system 100 may also operate in the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) region of the spectrum (e.g., from around 27GHz to around 300 GHz), which is also referred to as the millimeter band. In some examples, system 100 may support millimeter wave (mmW) communications between UEs 115 and base stations 105, and EHF antennas of respective devices may be even smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some cases, this may facilitate the use of antenna arrays within the UE 115. However, propagation of EHF transmissions may experience even greater atmospheric attenuation and shorter ranges than SHF or UHF transmissions. The techniques disclosed herein may be employed across transmissions using one or more different frequency regions, and the band usage specified across these frequency regions may vary by country or regulatory agency.

In some cases, system 100 may utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, the system 100 may employ Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), LTE unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed band, such as the 5GHz ISM band. When operating in the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, wireless devices, such as base stations 105 and UEs 115, may employ a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure to ensure that frequency channels are clear before transmitting data. In some cases, operation in the unlicensed band may be based on a CA configuration (e.g., LAA) in cooperation with CCs operating in the licensed band. Operations in the unlicensed spectrum may include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, peer-to-peer transmissions, or a combination of these. Duplexing in the unlicensed spectrum may be based on Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD), Time Division Duplexing (TDD), or a combination of both.

In some examples, a base station 105 or UE115 may be equipped with multiple antennas, which may be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, or beamforming. For example, system 100 may use a transmission scheme between a transmitting device (e.g., base station 105) and a receiving device (e.g., UE 115), where the transmitting device is equipped with multiple antennas and the receiving device is equipped with one or more antennas. MIMO communication may employ multipath signal propagation to increase spectral efficiency by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers, which may be referred to as spatial multiplexing. For example, a transmitting device may transmit multiple signals via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Also, the receiving device may receive multiple signals via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Each of the multiple signals may be referred to as a separate spatial stream and may carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams. Different spatial layers may be associated with different antenna ports for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), in which multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiver device; and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), in which a plurality of spatial layers are transmitted to a plurality of devices.

Beamforming, which may also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception, is a signal processing technique that may be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (e.g., base station 105 or UE 115) to shape or steer an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam or a receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting device and the receiving device. Beamforming may be achieved by combining signals communicated via antenna elements of an antenna array such that signals propagating in a particular orientation relative to the antenna array undergo constructive interference while other signals undergo destructive interference. The adjustment to the signals communicated via the antenna elements may include the transmitting or receiving device applying a particular amplitude and phase shift to the signals carried via each antenna element associated with the device. The adjustment associated with each antenna array may be defined by a set of beamforming weights associated with a particular orientation (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting or receiving device, or relative to some other orientation).

In one example, the base station 105 may use multiple antennas or antenna arrays for beamforming operations for directional communication with the UEs 115. For example, some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) may be transmitted multiple times in different directions by the base station 105, which may include signals transmitted according to different sets of beamforming weights associated with different transmission directions. Transmissions in different beam directions may be used (e.g., by the base station 105 or a receiving device, such as the UE 115) to identify beam directions used by the base station 105 for subsequent transmissions and/or receptions. Some signals, such as data signals associated with a particular recipient device, may be transmitted by the base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., a direction associated with the recipient device, such as the UE 115). In some examples, a beam direction associated with transmission along a single beam direction may be determined based at least in part on signals transmitted in different beam directions. For example, the UE115 may receive one or more signals transmitted by the base station 105 in different directions, and the UE115 may report an indication to the base station 105 of the signal for which it is received at the highest signal quality or other acceptable signal quality. Although the techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted by the base station 105 in one or more directions, the UE115 may use similar techniques for transmitting signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., for identifying beam directions used by the UE115 for subsequent transmission or reception) or for transmitting signals in a single direction (e.g., for transmitting data to a receiving device).

A receiving device (e.g., UE115, which may be an example of a mmW receiving device) may attempt multiple receive beams when receiving various signals (such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) from the base station 105. For example, a recipient device may attempt multiple receive directions by: receiving via different antenna sub-arrays, processing received signals according to different antenna sub-arrays, receiving according to different sets of receive beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, or processing received signals according to different sets of receive beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, either of which may be referred to as "listening" according to different receive beams or receive directions. In some examples, the receiving device may use a single receive beam to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving a data signal). A single receive beam may be aligned in a beam direction determined based on listening from different receive beam directions (e.g., the beam direction determined to have the highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio, or other acceptable signal quality based on listening from multiple beam directions).

In some cases, the antennas of a base station 105 or UE115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays that may support MIMO operation or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may be co-located at an antenna assembly (such as an antenna tower). In some cases, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with the base station 105 may be located at different geographic locations. The base station 105 may have an antenna array with a number of rows and columns of antenna ports that the base station 105 may use to support beamforming for communications with the UEs 115. Likewise, the UE115 may have one or more antenna arrays that may support various MIMO or beamforming operations.

In some cases, system 100 may be a packet-based network operating according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, communication of the bearer or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer may be IP-based. In some cases, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer may perform packet segmentation and reassembly to communicate on logical channels. The Medium Access Control (MAC) layer may perform priority handling and multiplexing of logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer may also use hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) to provide retransmission by the MAC layer, thereby improving link efficiency. In the control plane, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer may provide for establishment, configuration, and maintenance of RRC connections of radio bearers supporting user plane data between the UE115 and the base station 105 or core network 130. At the Physical (PHY) layer, transport channels may be mapped to physical channels.

In some cases, the UE115 and the base station 105 may support retransmission of data to increase the likelihood that the data is successfully received. HARQ feedback is a technique that increases the likelihood that data will be correctly received on the communication link 125. HARQ may include a combination of error detection (e.g., using Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)), Forward Error Correction (FEC), and retransmission (e.g., automatic repeat request (ARQ)). HARQ may improve throughput of the MAC layer in poor radio conditions (e.g., signal-to-noise conditions). In some cases, a wireless device may support simultaneous slot HARQ feedback, where the device may provide HARQ feedback in a particular slot for data received in a previous symbol in that slot. In other cases, the device may provide HARQ feedback in subsequent time slots or according to some other time interval.

The time interval in LTE or NR may be in a basic unit of time (which may for example refer to the sampling period T)_s1/30,720,000 seconds). The time intervals of the communication resources may be organized according to radio frames each having a duration of 10 milliseconds (ms), where the frame period may be expressed as T_f＝307,200T_s. The radio frame may be identified by a System Frame Number (SFN) ranging from 0 to 1023. Each frame may include 10 subframes numbered from 0 to 9, and each subframe may have a duration of 1 ms. The subframe may be further divided into two slots each having a duration of 0.5ms, where each slot may contain 6 or 7 modulation symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix added before each symbol period). Each symbol period may contain 2048 sample periods, excluding the cyclic prefix. In some cases, a subframe may be the smallest scheduling unit of system 100 and may be referred to as a Transmission Time Interval (TTI). In other cases, the minimum scheduling unit of system 100 may be shorter than a subframe or may be dynamically selected (e.g., in a burst of shortened tti (sTTI) or in a selected component carrier using sTTI).

In some wireless communication systems, a slot may be further divided into a plurality of mini-slots containing one or more symbols. In some examples, a symbol of a mini-slot or a mini-slot may be the smallest scheduling unit. For example, each symbol may vary in duration depending on the subcarrier spacing or operating frequency band. Further, some wireless communication systems may implement timeslot aggregation, where multiple timeslots or mini-timeslots are aggregated together and used for communication between the UE115 and the base station 105.

The term "carrier" refers to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communications over the communication link 125. For example, the carrier of the communication link 125 may comprise a portion of a radio frequency spectrum band operating according to a physical layer channel for a given radio access technology. Each physical layer channel may carry user data, control information, or other signaling. The carriers may be associated with predefined frequency channels (e.g., E-UTRA absolute radio frequency channel number (EARFCN)) and may be located according to a channel grid for discovery by UEs 115. The carriers may be downlink or uplink (e.g., in FDD mode), or may be configured to carry downlink and uplink communications (e.g., in TDD mode). In some examples, a signal waveform transmitted on a carrier may include multiple subcarriers (e.g., using a multi-carrier modulation (MCM) technique, such as OFDM or DFT-s-OFDM).

The organization of the carriers may be different for different radio access technologies (e.g., LTE-A, NR, etc.). For example, communications on a carrier may be organized according to TTIs or slots, each of which may include user data as well as control information or signaling supporting decoding of the user data. The carrier may also include dedicated acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals or system information, etc.) and control signaling that coordinates operation of the carrier. In some examples (e.g., in a carrier aggregation configuration), a carrier may also have acquisition signaling or control signaling that coordinates the operation of other carriers.

The physical channels may be multiplexed on the carriers according to various techniques. The physical control channels and physical data channels may be multiplexed on the downlink carrier using, for example, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) techniques, Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) techniques, or hybrid TDM-FDM techniques. In some examples, control information transmitted in the physical control channel may be distributed in a cascaded manner between different control regions (e.g., between a common control region or common search space and one or more UE-specific control regions or UE-specific search spaces).

A carrier may be associated with a particular bandwidth of the radio frequency spectrum, and in some examples, the carrier bandwidth may be referred to as a carrier or "system bandwidth" of system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth may be one of several predetermined bandwidths (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80MHz) of a carrier of a particular radio access technology. In some examples, each served UE115 may be configured to operate over part or all of the carrier bandwidth. In other examples, some UEs 115 may be configured for operation using a narrowband protocol type associated with a predefined portion or range within a carrier (e.g., a set of subcarriers or RBs) (e.g., "in-band" deployment of narrowband protocol types).

In a system employing MCM technology, a resource element may include one symbol period (e.g., the duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element may depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme). Thus, the more resource elements the UE115 receives and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate of the UE115 may be. In a MIMO system, wireless communication resources may refer to a combination of radio frequency spectrum resources, time resources, and spatial resources (e.g., spatial layers), and using multiple spatial layers may further improve the data rate of communications with the UE 115.

Devices of system 100 (e.g., base stations 105 or UEs 115) may have a hardware configuration that supports communication over a particular carrier bandwidth or may be configurable to support communication over one carrier bandwidth of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, system 100 may include a base station 105 and/or a UE that may support simultaneous communication via carriers associated with more than one different carrier bandwidth.

System 100 may support communication with UEs 115 over multiple cells or carriers, a feature that may be referred to as Carrier Aggregation (CA) or multi-carrier operation. The UE115 may be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs according to a carrier aggregation configuration. Carrier aggregation may be used with both FDD and TDD component carriers.

In some cases, system 100 may utilize an enhanced component carrier (eCC). An eCC may be characterized by one or more features including a wider carrier or frequency channel bandwidth, a shorter symbol duration, a shorter TTI duration, or a modified control channel configuration, among others. In some cases, an eCC may be associated with a carrier aggregation configuration or a dual connectivity configuration (e.g., when multiple serving cells have suboptimal or non-ideal backhaul links). An eCC may also be configured for use in unlicensed spectrum or shared spectrum (e.g., where more than one operator is allowed to use the spectrum). An eCC characterized by a wide carrier bandwidth may include one or more segments that may be utilized by UEs 115 that are unable to monitor the entire carrier bandwidth or are otherwise configured to use a limited carrier bandwidth (e.g., to conserve power).

In some cases, the eCC may utilize a different symbol duration than other CCs, which may include using a reduced symbol duration compared to the symbol durations of the other CCs. Shorter symbol durations may be associated with increased spacing between adjacent subcarriers. Devices utilizing an eCC, such as UE115 or base station 105, may transmit a wideband signal (e.g., according to a frequency channel or carrier bandwidth of 20, 40, 60, 80MHz, etc.) with a reduced symbol duration (e.g., 16.67 microseconds). A TTI in an eCC may include one or more symbol periods. In some cases, the TTI duration (i.e., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable.

Wireless communication systems, such as NR systems, may utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed bands, and the like. Flexibility in eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing may allow eCC to be used across multiple spectra. In some examples, NR sharing spectrum may increase spectrum utilization and spectrum efficiency, particularly through dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency) and horizontal (e.g., across time) sharing of resources.

Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a system 200 for supporting wireless communications that manage overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, system 200 may implement aspects of system 100. System 200 may include a base station 205 and a UE215, which may be examples of corresponding devices described with reference to fig. 1. In the example of fig. 2, system 200 may operate in accordance with a Radio Access Technology (RAT), such as a 5G or NR RAT, although the techniques described herein may be applied to any RAT and systems that may concurrently use two or more different RATs.

The base station 205 may establish a connection (e.g., a bidirectional link 220) with the UE215 and allocate resources for transmissions to the UE 215. The resources may be allocated by the base station 205 during the RRC connection procedure. In some cases, the base station 205 may configure the UE215 to monitor certain control resource sets CRS-0225 and CRS-1230 for Downlink Control Information (DCI) transmissions. The DCI transmission may include downlink grants, uplink power control commands, and other downlink control information. The base station 205 may transmit control information on a control channel (e.g., PDCCH) to the UE 215. Further, using the scheduling command and scheduling grant, the base station 205 may inform the UE215 of an upcoming transmission on a downlink channel (e.g., a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)) and grant the UE115 resources for transmission on an uplink channel (e.g., a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)).

As such, base station 205 may transmit control information to UE215 via CRS-0225 and CRS-1230 during time slot 240. The set of control resources may include a region of resource blocks used for transmission of control information on a wireless channel (e.g., PDCCH). For example, the control resource set may include a number of control channel elements designated for control transmission to the UE 215. The control channel element may also include a number of resource element groups. The resource element group may include a number of resource elements, where each resource element consists of one OFDM symbol and one subcarrier.

User data transmission between the UE215 and the base station 205 may depend on successful decoding of downlink control information sent by the base station 205 to the UE215 via the bidirectional link 220 using the specified control resource sets CRS-0225 and CRS-1230. The downlink control information may enable the UE215 to successfully receive, demodulate, and decode the wireless transmissions of the base station 205. Further, the UE215 may perform rate matching for the wireless channel. However, in some cases, a controlling resource set may partially overlap with another controlling resource set. For example, CRS-0225 may partially overlap portion 235 of CRS-1230. As a result, it may be difficult to perform rate matching by the UE215 for each set of control resources where the sets of control resources overlap.

In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, a priority level may be assigned to each set of overlapping control resources monitored by the UE 215. In some cases, the base station 205 can signal a priority level for one or more overlapping sets of control resources during an RRC connection procedure. For example, as part of an RRC connection setup or RRC connection reconfiguration message transmitted to the UE215 via the bi-directional link 220, the base station 205 may indicate a first priority level for CRS-0225 or a second priority level for CRS-1230. Additionally or alternatively, the priority levels assigned to one or more overlapping sets of control resources may be indicated in a Master Information Block (MIB) or a System Information Block (SIB) broadcast by the base station 205. In some cases, the priority levels for one or more overlapping sets of control resources may be based on a default priority level assigned by a network operator or known by the UE215 according to criteria implemented by the system 200. For example, a priority level for one or more overlapping control resources may be set by the UE to a default level based on the type of control resource set (e.g., common or UE-specific). The priority levels may be indicated to the UE or stored by the UE as binary or integer values. For example, the base station 205 may assign a binary value of "0" for a low priority level and a binary value of "1" for a high priority level. In systems implementing more than two priority levels, multiple bits may be used to indicate the priority level.

The resources of each overlapping control resource set monitored and decoded by the UE215 may depend on the respective priority level of the overlapping control resource set. For example, the UE215 may be configured to monitor a portion of the low priority control resource set that does not overlap with the higher priority control resource set. In the case of system 200, CRS-0225 may have a lower assigned priority level than CRS-1230; as such, UE215 may monitor non-overlapping portions of CRS-0225 while ignoring CRS-1230. That is, UE215 may be aware of the overlap (e.g., overlapping portion 235) between CRS-0225 and CRS-1230 and thus avoid resources (e.g., time and frequency resources) used by both CRS-0225 and CRS-1230. Alternatively, in the case where the UE215 is configured to monitor a set of control resources having a higher assigned priority level, the UE215 need not be notified of a set of control resources having a lower assigned priority level because the UE215 will ignore a set of low priority control resources by default.

In some cases, the UE215 may be configured to monitor each control resource set independently for partially overlapping control resource sets having the same priority level. In this case, the UE215 may decode each control resource set individually and may perform rate matching separately for the entirety of each control resource set. In another case, for partially overlapping control resource sets having different priority levels, the UE215 may be configured to monitor and decode the entirety of the higher priority control resource set while monitoring and decoding only non-overlapping portions of the lower priority control resource set, respectively.

Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a configuration 300 that supports managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In particular, configuration 300 may support UE215 performing rate matching by identifying non-overlapping resources.

For example, configuration 300 depicts resource block 320-a and resource block 320-b. Resource block 320-a may include several resource elements. Each resource element of configuration 300 may include one OFDM symbol period (e.g., the duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. In the example of resource block 320-a, the control resource set 305-a may include a number of control resource elements (CRE-0), while the control resource set 310-a may also include a number of control resource elements (CRE-1).

The base station 205 can assign priority levels to the set of control resources 305-a and the set of control resources 310-a based on a type associated with the set of control resources. For example, the control resource set 305-a and the control resource set 310-a may be a common control resource set or a UE-specific control resource set. In the example of FIG. 3, the controlling resource set 305-a may be assigned a lower priority level than the controlling resource set 310-a. In this example, the controlling resource set 305-a may be assigned a lower priority level because it may be a UE-specific controlling resource set, and the controlling resource set 310-a may be assigned a higher priority level because it may be a common controlling resource set. In some examples, a higher priority level may be assigned to a common set of control resources for an initial access procedure. Alternatively, in some cases, both the control resource set 305-a and the control resource set 310-a may have the same assigned priority level. In the example of FIG. 3, the controlling resource set 305-a may not overlap with the controlling resource set 310-a. In this case, the UE215 may individually monitor each control resource set and decode each control resource set independently. Additionally, in this case, the UE215 may not have to reconstruct the search space for decoding the radio channels (e.g., PDCCHs) in the control resource set 305-a and the control resource set 310-a.

The UE215 may be configured with a search space. The base station 205 may generate control information. The control information may include information on allocated resources (e.g., time and frequency resources). Base station 205 may map control information to resource elements of resource block 320. These mapped resource elements may be a control resource set 305-a or a control resource set 310-a. As a result, the base station 205 can transmit control information in the control resource set 305-a or the control resource set 310-a, or both. In some cases, the UE215 may recover the control information by performing decoding. The UE215 may be aware of the resources (e.g., location, time, and frequency resources) of either the control resource set 305-a or the control resource set 310-a, or both, in the resource block 320-a. That is, the UE215 may know where the base station 205 will transmit control information to the UE215 based on the configured search space.

In a non-overlapping scenario, the UE215 may refrain from performing any modifications to the configured search space. The UE215 may decode control information (e.g., DCI) carried by one or more wireless channels in the control resource set 305-a or the control resource set 310-a, or both. In some examples, the UE215 may decode the control information in the common search space before decoding the control information in the UE-specific search space. For example, in the case where the control resource set 310-a is a common control resource set, the UE215 may decode the control resource set 310-a before decoding the control resource set 305-a (i.e., UE-specific). However, in some cases, the UE215 may need to perform blind decoding because it may not be aware of the detailed control channel structure, including the number of control channels and the number of resource elements to which each control channel is mapped. That is, the UE215 may receive information from the base station 205 of the number of OFDM symbols within the control region of the time slot 315-a without any information associated with the location of the corresponding wireless channel (e.g., PDCCH) used to receive the control information.

Resource block 320-b, on the other hand, may similarly include several resource elements. However, in the example of resource block 320-b in FIG. 3, the control resource set 305-b and the control resource set 310-b may partially overlap. In this case, the set of control resources 310-b may partially overlap with the resource block 320-b on frequency resources, but may be non-overlapping on timing resources (e.g., OFDM symbols). The configured search space of the UE215 may change based on the partial overlap. In some cases, the attributes of a control resource set having a lower assigned priority level (e.g., control resource set 305-b) may also be affected when overlapping with a control resource set having a higher assigned priority level (e.g., control resource set 310-b). The attribute may include controlling the size of the resource set. For example, when the controlling resource set 305-c is non-overlapping with the controlling resource set 310-c, the controlling resource set 305-c may occupy seven resource elements. However, in the overlapping example, the control resource set 305-c results in a smaller size, i.e., the control resource set 305-d.

The control resource set 305-d may be non-contiguous in frequency resources and smaller than the non-overlapping version (i.e., the control resource set 305-c). As depicted in FIG. 3, the set of control resources 305-d may comprise two portions, a first portion comprising three resource elements and a second portion comprising a single resource element. In this case, the UE215 may reconstruct the search space for decoding the control resource set 305-d and the control resource set 310-c. In some examples, the partial overlap between the control resource sets may be dynamic. That is, the overlap can be based on a configuration of the control resource sets of the base stations 205. Although fig. 3 depicts both sets of control resources as localized in time resources, the sets of control resources may also be non-contiguous in both frequency and time resources.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a configuration 400 that supports managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The configuration 400 may support the UE215 performing rate matching on partially overlapping sets of control resources. For example, configuration 400 depicts resource block 440-a, resource block 440-b, and resource block 440-c, collectively referred to as "resource block 440". Resource block 440 may include a number of resource elements. Each resource element may include one OFDM symbol and one subcarrier. In the example of resource block 440-a, the control resource set 410-a may include a number of control resource elements (CRE-1), while the control resource set 405-a may also include a number of control resource elements (CRE-0).

In the example of configuration 400 in fig. 4, the set of control resources 405-a may partially overlap with the set of control resources 410 in time and frequency resources. In some cases, performing rate matching on control resource sets that partially overlap in time and frequency resources may be based on whether the UE215 performs time-first mapping or frequency-first mapping on control resource sets of lower priority levels. In the example of FIG. 4, the set of control resources 405-a may have a lower assigned priority level than the set of control resources 410. The UE215 may determine that the priority level of the set of control resources 405-a is lower than the priority level of the set of control resources 410 based on the configuration message received from the base station 205. Upon determining the priority level, the UE115 may identify an overlapping resource portion associated with the set of control resources 405-a and the set of control resources 410.

The UE215 may remove the identified overlapping resource portion from the set of control resources 405-a and obtain the remaining portion of the set of control resources 405-a (i.e., the set of control resources 405-b for resource block 440-b). The remainder of the controlling resource set 405-a may include non-overlapping resource portions. The UE215 may update the monitoring configuration for the set of control resources 405-b based on the identified overlapping resources. In some cases, updating the monitoring configuration may configure the UE215 to refrain from monitoring the identified overlapping resources.

Returning to the scenario where rate matching is performed on a set of control resources that partially overlap in both time and frequency resources, resource block 440-b depicts the active and inactive regions 420 of the set of control resources 405-b as a result of the UE215 performing frequency first mapping. In this case, the UE215 may perform rate matching around all resource elements with partial overlap. The UE215 may perform blind decoding of control information assuming that all control information transmissions in the set of control resources 405-b are rate matched around resources sharing the same frequency domain resources as overlapping portions in the set of control resources 405-b. In contrast, resource block 440-c depicts the active and inactive regions 425 of the control resource set 405-c as a result of the UE215 performing time-first mapping. In this case, the UE215 may perform rate matching only around the overlapping resource element groups. The UE215 may perform blind decoding of control information assuming that all control information transmissions in the set of control resources 405-c are rate matched around resources that overlap with the set of control resources 410-a.

Fig. 5 illustrates an example of a configuration 500 to support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The configuration 500 may support the UE215 performing rate matching on partially overlapping sets of control resources. For example, configuration 500 depicts a control resource set 520-a and a control resource set 525-a. According to the example of configuration 500, a controlling resource set 525-a may have a lower priority level, while a controlling resource set 520-a may have a high priority level. The set of control resources 520-a may include downlink control information-0 (DCI-0), downlink control information-1 (DCI-1), and downlink control information-2 DCI-2.

The UE215 may identify one or more locations, i.e., search spaces, where the candidate DCI is to be transmitted from the base station 205 to the UE 215. In some cases, the UE215 may estimate and select one or more locations where candidate downlink control information is to be transmitted from the base station 205 to the UE215 without analyzing an overlap between the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources. In some cases, the UE215 may perform blind decoding of portions of the first set of control resources associated with one or more locations where the candidate DCI is to be transmitted to the UE215 and is non-overlapping with the second set of control resources. In some cases, the UE215 may perform blind decoding of portions of the first set of control resources associated with one or more locations where candidate control information is to be transmitted to the UE215 and partially overlaps with the second set of control resources.

According to a first technique, the UE215 may modify the search space in the case of partial overlap and full overlap. The UE215 may assume that candidate downlink control information transmission positions in the set of control resources 525-a are selected without regard to overlap with the set of control resources 520-a. As such, the UE215 may perform blind decoding of downlink control information (e.g., DCI-0, DCI-1, and DCI-2) only at candidate downlink control information transmissions where the resources (e.g., time and frequency) used by the candidate downlink control information transmission do not overlap with the set of control resources 520-a. That is, the UE215 may refrain from using the DCI-1530-a because it partially overlaps with the control resource set 520-a. Similarly, the UE215 may refrain from using DCI-0535-a because it completely overlaps with the set of control resources 520-a. In a non-overlapping scenario, the search space configured for the UE215 may not change. As such, the UE215 may decode control information (e.g., DCI) associated with the set of control resources. For example, the UE215 may use DCI-2540-a because it does not overlap with the set of control resources 520-a.

According to a second technique, in the case of partial overlap and full overlap, the UE215 may assume that candidate control information transmission locations in the control resource set 525-b are selected without regard to overlap with the control resource set 520-b. As such, the UE215 may perform blind decoding of control information only at candidate control information transmissions where the resources used by the candidate control information transmission do not completely overlap the set of control resources 520-b. When a candidate control information transmission partially overlaps with the set of control resources 520-b, the UE215 may perform blind decoding of the control information assuming that the control information is transmitted within a non-overlapping portion of the resources allocated for the candidate control information transmission. In this case, for example, the UE215 may use only the non-overlapping portion 550 of the DCI-1530-b and refrain from using the overlapping portion of the DCI-1530-b. Additionally, the UE215 may use DCI-2540-b because it is still non-overlapping with the set of control resources 520-b. Similarly, the UE215 may refrain from using DCI-0535-b because it completely overlaps with the set of control resources 520-b. Returning to fig. 2, after the UE215 successfully decodes control information received from the base station 205 via one or more sets of control resources, the UE215 may receive data from the base station 205. In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, a UE215 communicating with a base station 205 in the system may support overlapping sets of control resources based on a priority level assigned to each set of control resources. The UE215 may also support rate matching for overlapping sets of control resources.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a process flow 600 to support managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the process flow 600 may implement aspects of the

systems

100 and 200. The base station 605 and the UE 615 may be examples of corresponding devices described with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

In the following description of process flow 600, operations between base station 605 and UE 615 may be transmitted in a different order than the exemplary order shown, or operations performed by base station 605 and UE 615 may be performed in a different order or at a different time. Certain operations may also be excluded from the process flow 600 or other operations may be added to the process flow 600. In some examples, process flow 600 may begin with base station 605 establishing a connection with UE 615. The base station 605 may provide radio resources to the UE 615 for respective uplink communications. In an example, the base station 605 can also provide radio resources to the UE 615 for respective downlink communications.

At 620, the base station 605 can assign a priority level to one or more sets of control resources. For example, base station 605 can assign a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources. At 625, the base station 605 may generate a control resource configuration message. The configuration message may include an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of the wireless channel. At 630, the base station 605 may transmit a control resource configuration message to the UE 615.

At 635, the UE 615 can receive a control resource set configuration message. At 640, the UE 615 can identify an overlap between two or more sets of control resources. For example, UE 615 may identify an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources. At 645, the UE 615 can identify a priority level for each set of control resources. In some cases, the UE 615 may identify a priority level based on the configuration message. For example, the UE 615 may identify a priority level of a first set of control resources and a priority level of a second set of control resources based on the control resource set configuration message.

At 650, the UE 615 may monitor the sets of control resources based on the identified overlaps and the priority level of each set of control resources. In some cases, the UE 615 may monitor the first set of control resources based on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources. In some cases, UE 615 can determine that the identified first set of controlling resources has a lower priority level than the identified second set of controlling resources and identify overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of controlling resources and the second set of controlling resources. The UE 615 may remove the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources from the first set of control resources. The overlapping resource portion may overlap with a portion of the second set of control resources. As a result, the UE 615 may obtain the remainder of the first set of control resources based on the removed overlapping resources. The remaining portion of the first set of control resources may comprise a non-overlapping resource portion.

Fig. 7 illustrates a block diagram 700 of a wireless device 705 that supports managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless device 705 may be an example of aspects of a UE115 as described herein. The wireless device 705 may include a receiver 710, a UE-controlled resource set manager 715, and a transmitter 720. The wireless device 705 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

Receiver 710 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information related to managing overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels, etc.). Information may be passed to other components of the device. The receiver 710 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1035 described with reference to fig. 10. Receiver 710 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

The UE-controlled resource set manager 715 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions of the UE control resource set manager 715 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be performed by a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure.

The UE-controlled resource set manager 715 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be physically located at various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functionality are implemented by one or more physical devices at different physical locations. In some examples, the UE-controlled resource set manager 715 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be separate and distinct components in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In other examples, the UE controlling resource set manager 715 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, may be combined with one or more other hardware components (including, but not limited to, I/O components, transceivers, network servers, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof).

The UE controlled resource set manager 715 may receive a controlled resource set configuration message from a base station, identify an overlap between a first controlled resource set and a second controlled resource set of a wireless channel, identify a priority level of the first controlled resource set and a priority level of the second controlled resource set based on the controlled resource set configuration message, and monitor the first controlled resource set based on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first controlled resource set, and the priority level of the second controlled resource set.

The transmitter 720 may transmit signals generated by other components of the device. In some examples, transmitter 720 may be co-located with receiver 710 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 720 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1035 described with reference to fig. 10. The transmitter 720 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

Fig. 8 illustrates a block diagram 800 of a wireless device 805 that supports managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The wireless device 805 may be an example of aspects of the wireless device 705 or UE115 as described with reference to fig. 7. The wireless device 805 may include a receiver 810, a UE control resource set manager 815, and a transmitter 820. The wireless device 805 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

Receiver 810 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information related to managing overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels, etc.). Information may be passed to other components of the device. The receiver 810 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1035 described with reference to fig. 10. Receiver 810 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

The UE controlling resource set manager 815 may be an example of aspects of the UE controlling resource set controlling manager 715 described with reference to fig. 7. UE controlling resource set manager 815 may also include a configuration component 825, an overlap component 830, a priority component 835, and a monitoring component 840.

Configuration component 825 can receive a control resource set configuration message from a base station. In some cases, configuration component 825 may update the monitoring configuration of the UE for the first set of control resources based on the identified overlapping resources and configure the UE to refrain from monitoring portions of the first set of control resources that overlap with the second set of control resources.

Overlapping component 830 may identify an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel. Overlapping component 830 can identify overlapping resource portions associated with a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources. In some cases, overlapping component 830 may remove from the first set of control resources the portion of overlapping resources associated with the first set of control resources. The overlapping resource portion overlaps a portion of the second set of control resources and a remaining portion of the first set of control resources is obtained based on the removed overlapping resources, wherein the remaining portion of the first set of control resources comprises a non-overlapping resource portion.

Priority component 835 may identify a priority level of the first controlling resource set and a priority level of the second controlling resource set based on the controlling resource set configuration message and determine that the priority level of the identified first controlling resource set is lower than the priority level of the identified second controlling resource set. In some cases, the priority level of the second set of control resources is based on a default priority level.

The monitoring component 840 can monitor the first set of control resources based on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources. In some cases, monitoring the first set of control resources is based on determining that a priority of the identified first set of control resources and a priority of the identified second set of control resources are different.

The transmitter 820 may transmit signals generated by other components of the device. In some examples, the transmitter 820 may be co-located with the receiver 810 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 820 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1035 described with reference to fig. 10. The transmitter 820 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram 900 of a UE control resource set manager 915 that supports managing overlapping control resource sets having different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The UE controlling resource set manager 915 may be an example of aspects of the UE controlling resource set manager 715, the UE controlling resource set controlling manager 815, or the UE controlling resource set manager 1015 described with reference to fig. 7, 8, and 10. The UE-controlled resource set manager 915 may include a configuration component 920, an overlap component 925, a priority component 930, a monitoring component 935, and a decoding component 940. Each of these modules may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

Configuration component 920 can receive a control resource set configuration message from a base station, update a monitoring configuration of the UE for a first control resource set based on the identified overlapping resources, and configure the UE to refrain from monitoring a portion of the first control resource set that overlaps with a second control resource set.

Overlapping component 925 may identify an overlap between the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources of the wireless channel. Overlapping component 925 may identify overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources. In some cases, overlapping component 925 may remove from the first set of control resources the overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of control resources. The overlapping resource portion may overlap with a portion of the second set of control resources. The overlapping component 925 may obtain a remaining portion of the first set of control resources based on the removed overlapping resources, wherein the remaining portion of the first set of control resources comprises a non-overlapping resource portion.

The priority component 930 may identify a priority level of the first controlling resource set and a priority level of the second controlling resource set based on the controlling resource set configuration message and determine that the priority level of the identified first controlling resource set is lower than the priority level of the identified second controlling resource set. In some cases, the priority level of the second set of control resources is based on a default priority level.

Monitoring component 935 may monitor the first set of controlling resources based on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of controlling resources, and the priority level of the second set of controlling resources. In some cases, monitoring the first set of control resources is based on determining that a priority of the identified first set of control resources and a priority of the identified second set of control resources are different.

Decoding component 940 may perform blind decoding of the downlink control information based on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around an overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources. Decoding component 940 may perform blind decoding of downlink control information based on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around resources sharing the same frequency domain resources as the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources.

Decoding component 940 may perform blind decoding of downlink control information based on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around resources that overlap with the second set of control resources. Decoding component 940 may perform blind decoding of downlink control information at a candidate downlink control information transmission based on selecting a candidate downlink control information transmission location in a first set of control resources, where resources used by the candidate downlink control information transmission and a second set of control resources may be non-overlapping.

Decoding component 940 may perform blind decoding of downlink control information at a candidate downlink control information transmission based on selecting a candidate downlink control information transmission location in a first set of control resources prior to identifying overlap with a second set of control resources, where resources used by the candidate downlink control information transmission partially overlap with the second set of control resources. Decoding component 940 can perform blind decoding of downlink control information based on the candidate downlink control information transmission partially overlapping a second set of control resources, wherein the downlink control information is transmitted within a non-overlapping portion of resources allocated to the candidate downlink control information transmission. In some cases, the first set of control resources includes a time-first mapped set of control resources. In some cases, the first set of control resources comprises a frequency-first mapped set of control resources.

FIG. 10 illustrates a diagram of a system 100 including a device 1005 that supports managing overlapping control resource sets with different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device 1005 may be an example of or include components of the wireless device 705, wireless device 805, or UE115 described above (e.g., with reference to fig. 7 and 8). The device 1005 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a UE-controlled resource set manager 1015, a processor 1020, a memory 1025, software 1030, a transceiver 1035, an antenna 1040, and an I/O controller 1045. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses, such as bus 1010. The device 1005 may communicate wirelessly with one or more base stations 105.

The processor 1020 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., a general purpose processor, a DSP, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 1020 may be configured to operate the memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 1020. The processor 1020 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to perform various functions (e.g., to support functions or tasks to manage overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels).

Memory 1025 may include Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). Memory 1025 may store computer-readable, computer-executable software 1030 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1025 may include, among other things, a basic input/output system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

Software 1030 may include code for implementing aspects of the present disclosure, including code for supporting management of overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels. The software 1030 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other memory. In some cases, the software 1030 may not be directly executable by a processor, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

The transceiver 1035 may communicate bi-directionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described above. For example, the transceiver 1035 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bi-directionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1035 may also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antennas for transmission, as well as demodulate packets received from the antennas. In some cases, the wireless device may include a single antenna 1040. However, in some cases, the device may have more than one antenna 1040, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions.

I/O controller 1045 may manage input and output signals of device 1005. I/O controller 1045 may also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into device 1005. In some cases, I/O controller 1045 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I/O controller 1045 may utilize an operating system, such as

Or another known operating system. In other cases, I/O controller 1045 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, or similar device. In some cases, I/O controller 1045 may be implemented as part of a processor. In some cases, a user may interact with device 1005 via I/O controller 1045 or via hardware components controlled by I/O controller 1045.

Fig. 11 illustrates a block diagram 1100 of a wireless device 1105 supporting management of overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The wireless device 1105 may be an example of aspects of a base station 105 as described herein. The wireless device 1105 can include a receiver 1110, a base station controlled resource set manager 1115, and a transmitter 1120. The wireless device 1105 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

Receiver 1110 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information related to managing overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels, etc.). Information may be passed to other components of the device. The receiver 1110 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1335 described with reference to fig. 13. Receiver 1110 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

The base station controlling resource set manager 1115 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions of the base station controlling resource set manager 1115 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be performed by a general purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure.

The base station controlling resource set manager 1115 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be physically located at various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functionality are implemented by one or more physical devices at different physical locations. In some examples, the base station controlling resource set manager 1115 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents may be separate and distinct components in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In other examples, the base station controlling resource set manager 1115 and/or at least some of its various subcomponents, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, may be combined with one or more other hardware components (including, but not limited to, an I/O component, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof).

Base station control resource set 1115 may assign a first priority level to a first control resource set and a second priority level to a second control resource set; generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and transmitting a control resource set configuration message to the UE on the wireless channel.

The transmitter 1120 may transmit signals generated by other components of the device. In some examples, the transmitter 1120 may be co-located with the receiver 1110 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 1120 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1335 described with reference to fig. 13. Transmitter 1120 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

Fig. 12 illustrates a block diagram 1200 of a wireless device 1205 that supports managing overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The wireless device 1205 may be an example of aspects of the wireless device 1105 or the base station 105 described with reference to fig. 11. The wireless device 1205 can include a receiver 1210, a base station control resource set manager 1215, and a transmitter 1220. The wireless device 1205 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

Receiver 1210 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information related to managing overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels, etc.). Information may be passed to other components of the device. The receiver 1210 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1335 described with reference to fig. 13. Receiver 1210 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

The base station controlled resource set manager 1215 may be an example of aspects of the base station controlled resource set manager 1115 described with reference to fig. 11. The base station controlling resource set manager 1215 may also include a priority component 1225 and a configuration component 1230.

The priority component 1225 can assign a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources, and assign a default priority level to at least one set of control resources, wherein the control resource set configuration message comprises an indication of the default priority level of the at least one set of control resources.

Configuring component 1230 may generate a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; transmitting a control resource set configuration message to the UE on a radio channel; and configuring the UE to refrain from monitoring a portion of the first set of control resources that overlaps with the second set of control resources. In some cases, the control resource set configuration message is transmitted in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection procedure. In some cases, the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources is UE-specific. In some cases, the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources is a common set of control resources.

Transmitter 1220 may transmit signals generated by other components of the device. In some examples, the transmitter 1220 may be co-located with the receiver 1210 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 1220 may be an example of aspects of the transceiver 1335 described with reference to fig. 13. Transmitter 1220 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

FIG. 13 illustrates a diagram of a system 1300 that includes a device 1305 that supports managing overlapping control resource sets with different priority levels in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device 1305 may be an example of or include components of the base station 105 as described above, e.g., with reference to fig. 1. Device 1305 may include components for two-way voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications including a base station control resource set manager 1315, a processor 1320, a memory 1325, software 1330, a transceiver 1335, an antenna 1340, a network communications manager 1345, and an inter-station communications manager 1350. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses, such as bus 1310. The device 1305 may communicate wirelessly with one or more UEs 115.

Processor 1320 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., a general purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 1320 may be configured to operate the memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 1320. The processor 1320 may be configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in the memory to perform various functions (e.g., to support functions or tasks to manage overlapping sets of control resources having different priority levels).

Memory 1325 may include RAM and ROM. The memory 1325 may store computer-readable, computer-executable software 1330 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1325 may contain, among other things, a BIOS that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

Software 1330 may include code for implementing aspects of the present disclosure, including code for supporting management of overlapping sets of control resources with different priority levels. The software 1330 may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as a system memory or other memory. In some cases, the software 1330 may not be executed directly by the processor, but may cause the computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

The transceiver 1335 may communicate bi-directionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described above. For example, the transceiver 1335 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bi-directionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1335 may also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to an antenna for transmission, and demodulate packets received from the antenna. In some cases, the wireless device may include a single antenna 1340. However, in some cases, the device may have more than one antenna 1340, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. The network communication manager 1345 may manage communication with the core network (e.g., via one or more wired backhaul links). For example, the network communication manager 1345 may manage the delivery of data communications for client devices (such as one or more UEs 115).

The inter-station communication manager 1350 may manage communications with other base stations 105 and may include a controller or scheduler to control communications with UEs 115 in cooperation with other base stations 105. For example, inter-station communication manager 1350 may coordinate scheduling of transmissions to UEs 115 for various interference mitigation techniques, such as beamforming or joint transmission. In some examples, the inter-station communication manager 1350 may provide an X2 interface within Long Term Evolution (LTE)/LTE-a wireless communication network technologies to provide communication between base stations 105.

FIG. 14 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method 1400 for managing overlapping control resource sets with different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method 1400 may be implemented by UE115 or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1400 may be performed by the UE-controlled resource set manager described with reference to fig. 7-10. In some examples, the UE115 may execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the apparatus to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the UE115 may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

At block 1405, the UE115 may receive a control resource set configuration message from the base station. The operations of block 1405 may be performed in accordance with the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1405 may be performed by a configuration component as described with reference to fig. 7 through 10.

At block 1410, the UE115 may identify an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources for a wireless channel. The operations of block 1410 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1410 may be performed by overlapping components as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

At block 1415, the UE115 may identify a priority level of the first set of control resources and a priority level of the second set of control resources based on the control resource set configuration message. The operations of block 1415 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1415 may be performed by a priority component as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

At block 1420, the UE115 may monitor the first set of control resources based on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources. The operations of block 1420 may be performed in accordance with the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1420 may be performed by a monitoring component as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

FIG. 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method 1500 for managing overlapping control resource sets having different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method 1500 may be implemented by UE115 or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1500 may be performed by the UE-controlled resource set manager described with reference to fig. 7-10. In some examples, the UE115 may execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the apparatus to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the UE115 may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

At block 1505, the UE115 may determine that the priority level of the identified first set of controlling resources is lower than the priority level of the identified second set of controlling resources. The operations of block 1505 may be performed in accordance with the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1505 may be performed by a priority component as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

At block 1510, the UE115 may identify overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources. The operations of block 1510 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1510 may be performed by overlapping components as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

At block 1515, the UE115 may remove an overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources from the first set of control resources, wherein the overlapping resource portion overlaps a portion of the second set of control resources. The operations of block 1515 may be performed in accordance with the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1515 may be performed by overlapping components as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

At block 1520, the UE115 may obtain a remaining portion of the first set of controlling resources based on the removed overlapping resources, wherein the remaining portion of the first set of controlling resources comprises a non-overlapping resource portion. The operations of block 1520 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In certain examples, aspects of the operations of block 1520 may be performed by overlapping components as described with reference to fig. 7-10.

In some cases, monitoring the first set of control resources is based on determining that a priority level of the identified first set of control resources and a priority level of the identified second set of control resources are different.

FIG. 16 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method 1600 for managing overlapping control resource sets having different priority levels, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method 1600 may be implemented by a base station 105 or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1600 may be performed by a base station controlled resource set manager as described with reference to fig. 11-13. In some examples, the base station 105 may execute sets of codes to control the functional elements of the device to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the base station 105 may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

At block 1605, the base station 105 can assign a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources. The operations of block 1605 may be performed in accordance with the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1605 may be performed by a priority component as described with reference to fig. 11-13.

At block 1610, the base station 105 may generate a control resource set configuration message that includes an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of the wireless channel. The operations of block 1610 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1610 may be performed by a configuration component as described with reference to fig. 11-13.

At block 1615, the base station 105 may transmit a control resource set configuration message to the UE over a wireless channel. The operations of block 1615 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of block 1615 may be performed by a configuration component as described with reference to fig. 11-13.

It should be noted that the above-described methods describe possible implementations, and that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified and that other implementations are possible. Further, aspects from two or more methods may be combined.

The techniques described herein may be used for various wireless communication systems such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA), and others. A CDMA system may implement a radio technology such as CDMA2000, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), and so on. CDMA2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. The IS-2000 version may often be referred to as CDMA 20001X, 1X, etc. IS-856(TIA-856) IS often referred to as CDMA 20001 xEV-DO, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), etc. UTRA includes wideband CDMA (wcdma) and other CDMA variants. TDMA systems may implement radio technologies such as global system for mobile communications (GSM).

The OFDMA system may implement radio technologies such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.11(Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16(WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are parts of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE and LTE-A are UMTS releases using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE-A, NR, and GSM are described in documents from an organization named "third Generation partnership project" (3 GPP). CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named "third generation partnership project 2" (3GPP 2). The techniques described herein may be used for both the above-mentioned systems and radio technologies, as well as for other systems and radio technologies. Although aspects of the LTE or NR system may be described for example purposes, and LTE or NR terminology may be used in much of the description above, the techniques described herein may also be applied to applications other than LTE or NR applications.

A macro cell generally covers a relatively large geographic area (e.g., an area with a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs 115 with service subscriptions with network providers. The small cell may be associated with a lower power base station 105 (as compared to the macro cell) and may operate in the same or a different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed, etc.) frequency band than the macro cell. According to various examples, a small cell may include a picocell, a femtocell, and a microcell. Picocells, for example, may cover a small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs 115 with service subscriptions with the network provider. A femtocell may also cover a smaller geographic area (e.g., a home) and may be provided with restricted access by UEs 115 associated with the femtocell (e.g., UEs 115 in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs 115 of users in the home, etc.). The eNB for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro eNB. An eNB for a small cell may be referred to as a small cell eNB, pico eNB, femto eNB, or home eNB. An eNB may support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells and may also support communication using one or more component carriers.

One or more systems 100 described herein may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the base stations 105 may have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 may be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the base stations 105 may have different frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations 105 may not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein may be used for synchronous or asynchronous operations.

Information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable Logic Device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and the following claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hard wiring, or any combination thereof. Features that implement functions may also be physically located at various locations, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.

Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory, Compact Disc (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk (disk) and disc (disc), as used herein, includes CD, laser disc, optical disc, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

As used herein, including in the claims, "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items accompanied by a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B or C means a or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., a and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be read as referring to a closed condition set. For example, an exemplary step described as "based on condition a" may be based on both condition a and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the phrase "based on," as used herein, should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based, at least in part, on.

In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference numerals. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description may apply to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label, or other subsequent reference label.

The illustrations set forth herein in connection with the figures describe example configurations and are not intended to represent all examples that may be implemented or fall within the scope of the claims. The term "exemplary" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and does not mean "preferred" or "advantageous over other examples. The detailed description includes specific details to provide an understanding of the described technology. However, the techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

The description herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving a control resource set configuration message from a base station;

identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel;

identifying a priority level of the first controlling resource set and a priority level of the second controlling resource set based at least in part on the controlling resource set configuration message; and

monitoring the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlap, the priority level of the first set of control resources, and the priority level of the second set of control resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the first set of control resources is based at least in part on determining that a priority level of the identified first set of control resources and a priority level of the identified second set of control resources are different.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the first set of control resources comprises:

determining that the identified priority level of the first set of controlling resources is lower than the identified priority level of the second set of controlling resources;

identifying overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources;

removing the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources from the first set of control resources, wherein the overlapping resource portion overlaps with a portion of the second set of control resources; and

obtaining a remaining portion of the first set of controlling resources based at least in part on the removed overlapping resources, wherein the remaining portion of the first set of controlling resources comprises a non-overlapping resource portion.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a monitoring configuration of the UE for the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlapping resources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein updating the monitoring configuration comprises:

configuring the UE to refrain from monitoring portions of the first set of control resources that overlap with the second set of control resources.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of control resources comprises a set of time-first mapped control resources.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around resources sharing the same frequency domain resources as the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of control resources comprises a set of frequency-first mapped control resources.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on all downlink control information transmissions in the first set of control resources being rate matched around resources overlapping the second set of control resources.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing blind decoding of downlink control information at a candidate downlink control information transmission based at least in part on selecting a candidate downlink control information transmission location in the first set of control resources, wherein resources used by the candidate downlink control information transmission and the second set of control resources may be non-overlapping.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

performing blind decoding of downlink control information at a candidate downlink control information transmission based at least in part on selecting a candidate downlink control information transmission location in the first set of control resources prior to identifying overlap with the second set of control resources, wherein resources used by the candidate downlink control information transmission partially overlap with the second set of control resources.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

performing blind decoding of downlink control information based at least in part on a candidate downlink control information transmission partially overlapping the second set of control resources, wherein the downlink control information is transmitted within a non-overlapping portion of resources allocated to the candidate downlink control information transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority level of the second set of control resources is based at least in part on a default priority level.

15. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

assigning a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources;

generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and

transmitting the control resource set configuration message to a User Equipment (UE) on the wireless channel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the control resource set configuration message is transmitted in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection procedure.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources is UE-specific.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources is a common set of control resources.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

assigning a default priority to at least one controlling resource set, wherein the controlling resource set configuration message comprises an indication of the default priority level for the at least one controlling resource set.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring the UE to refrain from monitoring a portion of the first set of control resources that overlaps with the second set of control resources.

21. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a control resource set configuration message from a base station;

means for identifying an overlap between a first set of control resources and a second set of control resources of a wireless channel;

means for identifying a priority level of the first controlling resource set and a priority level of the second controlling resource set based at least in part on the controlling resource set configuration message; and

means for monitoring a first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlap, a priority level of the first set of control resources, and a priority level of the second set of control resources.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein monitoring the first set of control resources is based at least in part on determining that a priority level of the identified first set of control resources and a priority level of the identified second set of control resources are different.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining that the identified first set of controlling resources has a lower priority level than the identified second set of controlling resources;

means for identifying overlapping resource portions associated with the first set of control resources and the second set of control resources;

means for removing the overlapping resource portion associated with the first set of control resources from the first set of control resources, wherein the overlapping resource portion overlaps with a portion of the second set of control resources; and

means for obtaining a remaining portion of the first set of controlling resources based at least in part on the removed overlapping resources, wherein the remaining portion of the first set of controlling resources comprises a non-overlapping resource portion.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for updating a monitoring configuration for the first set of control resources based at least in part on the identified overlapping resources.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for refraining from monitoring a portion of the first set of control resources that overlaps with the second set of control resources.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for assigning a first priority level to a first set of control resources and a second priority level to a second set of control resources;

means for generating a control resource set configuration message comprising an indication of a priority level of one or more control resource sets of a wireless channel; and

means for transmitting the control resource set configuration message to a User Equipment (UE) on the wireless channel.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the control resource set configuration message is transmitted in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection procedure.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources are UE-specific.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first set of control resources or the second set of control resources is a common set of control resources.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for assigning a default priority to at least one controlling resource set, wherein the controlling resource set configuration message comprises an indication of the default priority level for the at least one controlling resource set.